The Crime Writers’ Association

Publishing industry grieves for Carole Blake

The CWA was saddened to hear of the death on 26 October of one of the country’s foremost literary agents, Carole Blake of Blake Friedmann. Many of our members will know Carole, and her energy, enthusiasm and expertise were renowned and celebrat...


2022 winning story

Locked In - Scott Hunter There’s something singularly evil about a crime carried out in secret, don’t you think? Especially if it is repeated on a regular basis. And especially if the victim is powerless to prevent it. Let me explain my cir...


2021 winning story

Heartbridge Homicides - Camilla Macpherson ‘Haven’t seen you before,’ said Janet, as she approached the thin, nervy-looking man waiting at the red and white parking barrier. Beyond the barrier (so near, but yet so far) lay the studio where H...


2020 winning story

A Time to Confess - Della Millward “In my experience, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it.” Alex Mason’s clear voice carried across the dry air of the cavern and Peter was glad there weren’t many people around to hear her. Sometim...


2020 highly commended story

Sting in the Tail - Laila Murphy Did you know that insects are among the most successful species on Earth? They outlived dinosaurs. They’ll outlive us. My speciality is wasps. Vespology. Wasps get a bad deal. People are afraid of them but the...


2020 highly commended story

Voices - Lauren Everdell “Someone do the handoff?” “Jane Doe, Patient Foxtrot Alpha One One, found semi-conscious in an alley. Multiple stab wounds to the torso and apparent blunt force trauma to the back of the skull. Query traumatic brai...


2019 winning story

A Perfect Murderer - Ray Bazowski “There’s something that needs to be said at the start.” This forbidding sentence was how Mother always began family meetings. Since flight was impractical and fight inconceivable, we all looked for ways to b...


2019 runner up

Decluttering - Rosie De Vekey The Greenville Herald 21st December 2018 ‘Ghosting husbands’ on the rise! Pressures of Trump’s America blamed for men disappearing from families in record numbers.   A beginning It’s a war...


2019 shortlisted story

Trick of the Eye - Louise Harnby ‘Maybe they bricked it up and skimmed it but it was there.’ Laura Hughes swears there was a door but I’m looking at concrete. On the other side is a room that never sleeps. The call centre runs twenty-four...


2019 shortlisted story

Slipher’s Rail - Sherry Rankin One summer in Arkansas, I fell in love with my cousin. When I first told Marta, she said, “How original” in that dry, measured tone of hers. “That’s a disgusting stereotype with absolutely no basis in...


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